Cobain's death marked an end of grunge music's era. Everything by any new band, released in 1994 or later was - undeservedly, like in this case - labelled as post-grunge: ,music genre, which mostly consists of Seattle sound imitating bands, oriented for mainstream succes and wide radio airplay (such as Nickelback or Creed).
One of bands which were putted in this bag (while They were nothing but pure grunge) was english Bush, formed at Shepherd's Bush in 1991. After gaining some attention on local scenes they began to record first album, Sixteen Stone released in December of this unfortunate '94 . Bunch of critics immidiately started to accuse band of trying to be a cheap mimic of Nirvana, or Pearl Jam. For God's sake... While there are some Nirvanesque elements in Bush's music, mainly Rossdale's style of singing, very similar to Cobain's, in my opinion Bush has nothing in common with Pearl Jam.
The album starts off with "Everything Zen": it is really representative sample of what band offers: Fuzzy disorted guitars, Gavin's voice - cool but sometimes irritating manner, loud-quiet sound changes and audible bass.
What is more, there are some short solos in this song, but unfortunately there is a serious lack of them on the album overall. Next two songs songs, are titled "Swim" and "Bomb" - the first provides psychedelic gloomy sound, . It has really overwhelming atmosphere, and long end where Gavin desperately screams "kill you" (lyrics seems to describe love-on-drugs). "Bomb" is at 3:23 one of the shorter song on the album, starts with guitar and emotional, almost whispering, Gavin's singing. This song uses, known from Nirvana, method of building a thrill - quiet verses, loud chorus, and very loud bridge/outro (just listen to Gavin's screaming ) . The last 20 seconds of the song is very, em, apocalyptic to me, it sound like falling plane or, field of battle (and, according to Gavin it is about IRA's activity in London during Rossdale's young years). The next song is "Little Things". It is pure Nirvana - 4 chord verse, chorus with lots of disortions put on guitars, pre-chorus ripped from SLTS. Just a short, very radio-friendly, catchy song great for gigs, generally gives positive feelings. Following song, the best on the album, is "Comedown". It is slow paced ballad, the tension grows from its first seconds. As usually Gavin puts a lot of emotions into it. There are some interesting songs left, but the first half is far better than the second. "Body" provides some crazy slide solos, and of course great vocal work - it would be great for single, of course if shorter, because it is the longest song on the album. "Machinehead" is one of the greatest riffs I've ever heard. It could be the best song on the album if not disortions put on Gavin's voice. But it is the last song on this album which i really can recommend - following songs doesn't bring anything such heart-touching to this album: "Testosterone" and "Monkey" are very pedestrian (especially the second - i would say it's the worst song on Bush's release), "Glycerine" is nothing but a commercial ballad, bulit on 4 chords and strings instead of rhythm section. This song received a lot of radio airplay in 1995 and 1996, and it is the most recognizeable Bush's song. But also the least grungy. It is similar to that all post-grunge songs, targeted in mainstream. Album finishes with "Alien" - a sleepy monumental ballad, a great way to close the LP despite it's a bit boring. No, wait - there is also one song. X-Girlfriend. It's very unnecessary, probably put there as a joke - but it simply ruins feelings after "Alien".
"Sixteen Stone" is rather good album - of course it has some trashy songs, but as a post-grunge album (according to most of"critics") it is pure masterpiece, especially in comparision with bands like Nickelback or 3 Doors Down. As a grunge album (in my opinion it album is kind of bridge between grunge and post-grunge era) it is just solid - nothing revolutionary but not worse than works of less successful bands like Stone Temple Pilots or Hole. So I'll give it a double grade:
As a post-grunge album: 9/10 (In my opinion THE BEST post-grunge album ever released)
As a grunge album 7/10 (There isn't anything in this album what we haven't heard before, but ideas copied from other bands, are copied in a really good style)
